Amazigh to commemorate new year

Starting on Tuesday 12 January, Amazigh people in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, and parts of Egypt, as well as the diaspora, will celebrate Yennayer, the Amazigh new year.

Yennayer is the first day of the agrarian calendar year used since ancient times by Amazigh people throughout North Africa.

It was brought back to life in the second half of the 20th century by activists who set year zero as the estimated ascension of Berber ruler Shoshenq I to the throne of Egypt in 950 BC.

There are also several traditions that accompany the food that the Amazigh prepare for Yennayer. Besides dancing and singing special songs of love, fertility, and prosperity to embrace a new agrarian year, the Amazigh people, particularly those in rural areas, find a chance to socialize, exchange food, and seek reconciliation with those with whom they have misunderstandings.